Refrigerated case



March'zs, 1939.

R. H. STARR ET A l.

REFRIGERATED CASE Filed Sept. 15, 1957 2 sheets-sheer l ATTORNEY March 28, 1939. R. H. STARR ET A1.

REFRIGERATED CASE Filed Sept.

l5, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 28, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,152,291 REFaiGEaATED CASE Application September 15, 1937, Serial No. 163,996

(Cl. (i2-89,5) This invention relates to display cases, pa.r

5 Claims.

ticularly to those equipped with refrigeration for the storage and display of perishable merchandise, and has for its principal objects to provide for substantially uniform temperatures in all parts of the display compartment; to provide for uniform movement of chilled air throughout the interior of the display case; to provide mechanical means for effecting forced circulation of air from one end of the display case to the other; and to effect inlet of air at one `end ofthe refrigerated compartment in divided streams of progressively decreasing temperatures from the bottom toward the top throughout the height of the display case, thereby effecting transverse circulation of air from the top to the bottom of the refrigerated space.

Other important vobjects of the invention are to provide a display case with refrigerating elements located and constructed so that they do not interfere with merchandise on display; and to provide refrigerating elements which occupy a minimum of display` or storage space.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, as hereinafter pointed out, we have provided improved details of structure, the preferred form of which is illustrated in the accom panying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is aperspective view of a display case equipped with a refrigerating and circulatory system embodying the features of the present invention, a part of the front wall of the case be ing broken away to better illustrate the louvers through which air is circulated from the interior of the case to an element carried at the end of the case.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through the case, particularly illustrating the air circulatory system and the location of the cooling elements.

Fig. 3 is a. vertical cross-section throughthe display case, with a part of the cooling element housing broken away to better illustrate the arrangement of cooling coils. I

Fig. 4 is a detail section on vthe line 4 4 of Fig. 2. l

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the fan housing and illustrating its connections with the adjacent cooling element housing and the air transfer duct, wherethrough air is moved from one end o f the display case to the other.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of one of the cooling elements, particulariy mustrating the ans thereo.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

I designates a display case including insulated front and rear walls 2 3, end walls 4 5, a bottom 6, and a counter top l to form a refrigerated compartment 8 adapted to contain'perishable merchandise or the like. In the illustrated instance the compartment 8 is divided by a reticulated shelf 9, located at a point about midway the'height of the display case, into a lower storage space I0 and an upper display space II. The front wall 2 inclines inwardly above the level of the shelf 9, toward the counter top 1, and is provided with a plurality of transparent panels I2 through 'which merchandise is displayed to the view of a customer. The wall 3 also slopes toward the counter topabove the shelf, and is provided with a series of door openings I3 normally closed by doors I4. Access-to the storage space is attained through door openings I5 that are provided in the rear wall and which are closed by doors I6. The display case structure thus far described is conventional and specifical-` ly forms no part of the present invention.

Located in each end of the display case, in juxtaposition with the inner faces of the end walls 4 and 5, are air cooling elements I'l and I8, each including a coil arranged in horizontally positioned hairpin loops conforming in length to the shape of the end walls and having spirally woundiins I9 for increasing the conductive surfaces in contact with air circulatedthereover. A suitable refrigerant is supplied to the coils through inlet pipes 20 connected with their lower ends and, after circulation through the coils, is returned through pipes 2| that are connected with the upper ends of the coils.

Located in covering relation with the coils are shield-like housing platesI 22 and 23 respective-v 1y, which conform in shape to the transverse section of the compartment 8 and have side iianges 24 respectively engaging the inner faces of the front and rear walls for support thereof in spaced relation with the inner surfaces of the end walls to form vertical' air passages 25 and with a fan housing 32, which in turn communicates with the opening 3| through a horizontal duct 33 `that is formed by a plate 34 extending v horizontally of the display case in spaced relation with the bottom 6, and which has its side edges supported on shoulders 35 .formed on the inner faces of the front and rear walls, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. A

'I'he fan housing includes a horizontaltop or cover 36 that engages under the loweredge of the shield-like housing 22, and is supported by a v ertical plate 31 that rests upon the bottom 6, as best shown in Fig. 5. The plate 31 extends completely across the width of the storage space and is provided with lateral anges 391 engaging the front and rear walls of the case. The cover 36 is of shorter length than the plate 31, and connected to the ends thereof and with the plate 35 are end plates 39 and 40 having openings 4| and 42 that communicate with chambers; 43 and 44 that are formed between the end plates and the front and rear walls of the housing, as shown in Fig. 4. The lower edge of the shield-like housing 22 has a laterally extending ange 45, seated upon the top of the fan housing and of length to extend completely across'the display case to close the top of the chambers 43 and 44 with the exception of the spaces directly below the housing 22 which form openings 46 having connection with the air inlets .of the fan housing. The plate 31 forming the front of the fan housing is provided between the end plates 39 and 40 with an outlet opening 41 communicating directly with the inlet end of the duct 33, as best shown in Fig. 2. Located within the fan housing is a motor 48, having an armature shaft 49 projecting from the ends thereof, to carryimpellers 50 and 5| preferably of the sirocco type. The shield-like housing 22 is provided with a series of vertically spaced openings 52 that are covered by inwardly projecting louvers 53 extending inwardlyand downwardly, as shown in Fig. 2, to direct air over the coils and toward the inlets to the fan housing. The shield-like housing 23 is provided with similarly spaced openings 54 covered by upwardly directed louvers 55 projecting into the compartment 8 for giving slight upward movement of the air streams that are discharged through the respective openings, so as to maintain the streams for substantially horizontal, travel across the length of the case for passage through the openings 52.

In operating a display case constructed .and assembled as described, the merchandise to be displayed is placed within the display space and the merchandise to be stored is placed in the storage space. A refrigerant is supplied to the cooling elements through the respective inlet pipes 20 for circulation upwardly through the coils and is returned to the source of supply through the outlet pipes 2|. After starting the fan motor, air is drawn by the impellers from the interior of the case through the upper openings 28 and through the louvered openings 52 for circulation over the coils of the cooling element |1, so that the air is cooled before it is drawn through the openings 46 into the chambers 43 and 44, and thence through the inlet openings 4| and 42 of -the fan housing.` The initially cooled air is then discharged by the impellers through the outlet 41 of the fan housing into and through the duct 33 to the openings 3| leading to the vertical passageway 26, the air being discharged under sufficient pressure so that it circulates upwardly around the coils of the cooling element |8. As the air moves upwardly around the coils, portions thereof are discharged through the louvered openings 54 to move in the direction of the inlet openings in the opposite end of the case. As the air moves upwardly over the coils, the temperature thereof is gradually reduced, so that the air streams discharged through the openings 54 prokept in constant circulation and is maintained at the required temperature-incidental to its contact with the cooling elements during portions of its cycle of circulation. i

From the foregoing it is obvious that we have provided a refrigerating apparatus for a display case and the like wherein the air takes up heat from the merchandise and carries it into direct heat exchange relation with the cooling elements so that the refrigeration is more effective and can be operated at less cost. The air circulation system also obviates the usual difficulties vencountered because of moisture condensation, obscurement of the merchandise, and occupation of useful space in the refrigerated compartment.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a compartment to be refrigerated, means forming vertical passageways at opposite locations in the compartment and having air inlet and outlet openings respectively, a refrigerating element in each of the passageways, a' duct connecting the lower ends of the passageways, and means connected with said duct for effecting circulation of air from the compartment and through one of said passageways for movement through said duct to the other of said passage- Ways for discharge into the compartment.

2. In a compartment to be refrigerated, shieldlike housings forming air passageways in the respective ends of the compartment, refrigerating elements supported in said passageways, a duct extending along the bottom of the compartment and having connection with said passageways,

and a fan connected with said duct for circulating air from one of said passagewaysthrough the other to be refrigerated by said refrigerating elelike housings forning vertical passageways at the i ends of the compartment and having air inlet and outlet openings respectively, a' refrigerating element in at least one of the passageways, a

duct connecting the passageways, and means connected with said duct for effecting circulation of air from the compartment and through one of said passageways for movementr through said duct to the other passageway for discharge into the compartment.

4. In a case having a compartment to be refrigerated, shield-like housings forming' vertical passageways at the ends of the compartment and having air inlet and outlet openings respectively, a refrigerating element in each 'of the passageways, a duct connecting the lower` .ends of the passageways, and means connected with said duct for eifecting circulation of air 'from the compartment and through one of saidfpassageways for movement through said duct tothe other passageway for discharge into the compartment.

5. .In a compartment to be refrigerated, means forming vertical passageways at' opposite locations in the compartment and an interconnecting passageway at the bottom ends of the vertical passageways, a refrigerating element in at least one of said passageways, one of said vertical passageways having a series of vertically spaced air inlets from the compartment and the other a series of air outlets to the compartment, and means connected with said passageways for effecting circulation of air from the compartment through one of the vertical passageways ,and

through the connecting passageway for return to the compartment through the other vertical passageway, saidair being drawn in and discharged through said inlets and outlets at the respective elevations thereof. n

RAYMOND H. STARR. CLARENCE MASTERS. CHESTER K. LITMAN. 

